“Jayfeather, please wake up!” she begged. “Please! I can’t carry you back to the hollow on my own.”
“Wha…?” For a heartbeat Jayfeather couldn’t remember where he was, or why his Clanmate was panicking.
“Oh, thank StarClan!” Poppyfrost exclaimed. “You’re not dying! I’m so sorry I caused all this trouble,” she went on, giving him rapid licks between words. “I had no idea Breezepelt had followed me all this way.”
Breezepelt…all this way…Jayfeather realized that he could hear the gentle sound of the waterfall cascading into the Moonpool. The memory flooded back, of his battle against Breezepelt and the mysterious cat who had joined in the fight against him. And the cat who had come to his rescue. If it wasn’t for Honeyfern, I’d be crow-food.
Jayfeather struggled groggily to his paws. “I’m okay, Poppyfrost. Stop fussing.” How much does she know? he wondered. Did she see the other cats in the battle?
“But you’re not okay!” Poppyfrost still sounded distraught. “You have a really deep scratch down this side.”
“Yeah, I’ve got Breezepelt to thank for that,” Jayfeather mewed. “It’s a good thing he didn’t bring any other cats with him,” he added, wondering if Poppyfrost would mention Breezepelt’s ally.
Poppyfrost shuddered. “I know. I couldn’t believe that he would attack a medicine cat. You were so brave, Jayfeather, fighting him off all by yourself.”
Relief tingled in Jayfeather’s paws. She didn’t see the others. But there was still something she needed to know.
“Honeyfern came to me just now,” he told her.
Instantly he felt the sharp stab of the she-cat’s emotions: a mixture of hope and fear.
“Did she…did she speak to you?” Poppyfrost asked nervously.
Jayfeather nodded. “She told me that she’s delighted that you’re with Berrynose. And she said that she’ll watch over your kits.”
“Really?” Poppyfrost’s voice softened to a purr. “Oh, I’m so glad!”
“Oh, and she told me that Berrynose really loves you,” Jayfeather added.
Poppyfrost’s purr faded. “I wish I could believe that…” She sighed. “But I don’t see how Honeyfern could possibly know.”
Jayfeather stifled an exasperated hiss. “She’s a StarClan cat. She knows lots of things that you don’t.” He stopped himself from adding, mouse-brain.
“I suppose we’d better get back to camp,” Poppyfrost mewed. “I’ll help you, Jayfeather.”
“I’ll be fine, thanks.”
But as he struggled up the spiral path he became more aware of the throbbing pain in his side. His legs felt as weak as a newborn kit’s, and by the time they reached the line of thornbushes he had to lean on Poppyfrost’s shoulder.
They limped slowly down the path that led back to the forest, taking frequent rests along the way. Even though he was exhausted and in pain, Jayfeather’s mind was still working, and he began to realize just how strange it was that Breezepelt had followed Poppyfrost to the Moonpool.
Why? She never crossed into WindClan territory, and even if she had, the right thing to do would have been to chase her off. And why did Breezepelt threaten to kill her? He doesn’t hold any grudge against Poppyfrost. She’s not half-Clan, and she didn’t have anything to do with the lies Leafpool and Squirrelflight told.
Jayfeather let out a sigh. There was a lot that he didn’t know, but he needed to find it out, and quickly. The appearance of the cat he hadn’t recognized troubled him deeply.
“Are you okay? Do you want to rest again?” Poppyfrost asked.
“No, I can keep going.”
Warmth on his pelt told Jayfeather that the sun had risen, though a damp wind was sweeping over the moorland, flinging the occasional spatter of rain. The air felt heavy. His pelt prickled. There’s a storm coming. As they reached the WindClan border, Jayfeather kept tasting the air for Breezepelt’s scent, in case he was waiting to ambush them on their way home. But all he could pick up was the scent from the WindClan markers: strong and fresh, as if a patrol had been by not long before.
Poppyfrost jumped, interrupting his train of thought.
“What’s the matter?” he growled, his neck fur rising.
“Sorry, it’s nothing,” the she-cat replied. “I saw a flash of lightning over the trees, and it startled me, that’s all.”
Jayfeather forced his fur to lie flat again. Are you a scaredy-mouse kit? he scolded himself. You’ll be frightened of falling leaves next!
But the danger was real, even if it wasn’t hard on his paws right now. Jayfeather’s pelt prickled as he wondered whether the cats of the Dark Forest were watching him now. The Dark Forest, the Place of No Stars, where the spirits of cats who had not been welcomed by StarClan walked alone…
Is that where the strange cat came from? It wasn’t Tigerstar or Hawkfrost. And what did Yellowfang mean? Was she warning me there will be a war between the cats of the Dark Forest and StarClan? And if there is, will the Clans have to fight?
Jayfeather let out a sigh. “I need a rest,” he muttered, sinking into the grass beside the stream. Battered and weary, he wondered how he ever could have imagined that he had the power of the stars in his paws.
Where are Lionblaze and Dovepaw? he wondered. I hope they’re safe, and on their way home.
Sunhigh was long past by the time Jayfeather and Poppyfrost staggered back into camp. As soon as they emerged from the thorn tunnel, Jayfeather heard paw steps racing from the nursery; Berrynose’s scent, sharp with anxiety, swirled around him.
“Where have you been?” the warrior demanded. Jayfeather heard the rasp of his tongue as he licked Poppyfrost’s ears. “I’ve been worried out of my fur!”
Poppyfrost broke into a puzzled purr. “It doesn’t matter. I’m back now.”
Berrynose pressed himself close to her side. “I couldn’t bear to lose you, too,” he murmured.
“Don’t worry.” Poppyfrost’s voice shook a little. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“Yes, you are. You’re going back to the nursery right now.” Berrynose nudged her. “I’ll bring you some fresh-kill, and then you’re going to rest.”
Jayfeather stayed where he was as their paw steps retreated. Daisy and Ferncloud came out of the nursery to greet Poppyfrost, and Berrynose guided her inside, still scolding her gently.
Berrynose is a real pain in the tail, and yet he gets two apparently sensible she-cats padding after him, Jayfeather thought with a shake of his head. Weird.
Turning away, he limped across the clearing to his den, but as he settled down in his nest he knew he wouldn’t sleep. He felt as restless as the trees clattering their branches above his head. There’s a storm coming, and more than rain and thunder. The forces of the Dark Forest are rising…
Finally, after squirming around in his nest, failing to get comfortable or to put his worries out of his mind, Jayfeather decided to go down to the lake and find his stick. Maybe Rock knows something about the battle.
On the way out of his den he encountered Cinderheart, who was padding across the clearing toward the thorn tunnel.
“Thanks for bringing Poppyfrost back,” she mewed, touching his ear with her nose. “We were all so worried.”
“You’re welcome,” Jayfeather mumbled, just wanting to get away.
But Cinderheart stopped him as he tried to move off. “Are you okay?” she queried, her voice growing sharper with anxiety. “You seem…sort of upset. And—oh!” She gasped. “You’ve got an awful scratch down your side.”